Text messaging and driving: N.Y. lawmakers say it's a bad habit

Monday

Nov 26, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 26, 2007 at 7:27 PM

In recent years, text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication among young adults and teens. It's also become one of the most dangerous distractions for drivers. Now, some state lawmakers are pushing to outlaw texting behind the wheel.

Vanessa Ebbeling

In recent years, text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication among young adults and teens.

It's also become one of the most dangerous distractions for drivers. Now, some state lawmakers are pushing to outlaw texting behind the wheel.
ABOUT THE LEGISLATION
* It would amend the current law on using a hand-held cell phone while driving to include text messaging. Drivers caught reading, sending or writing texts could be fined about $100.

* Would require the commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to include cell-phone safety questions in the prelicensing course and include related questions on the written exam.

“Texting is such a monstrosity of a distraction,” said Ed Welsh, AAA New York Central Region general manager in Utica. “I think you're going to see a lot more legislation in 2008 across the country on this.”

Even more problematic, some experts said, is texting is most prevalent among young people who are often the least experienced drivers. Some young people know the dangers of texting while driving. But others believe a law won't prevent people from communicating with text messages while driving.

“It's a bad habit,” said Dallas Sheppard, 26, of Utica. “You're looking down instead of looking up. But it's a new form of communication, and people are integrating it into their lives.”

The new legislation, introduced by a Rochester-area state senator, comes several months after five Fairport teens were killed in a car accident in which texting may have played a role. But even if texting while driving is banned, questions remain about how such a law could be enforced.

“It really troubles me,” said state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome. “There's great danger out there right now, and it's an unnecessary danger.”

'Swerving All Over'

State Trooper Dave Olney said a majority of drivers he sees texting are young people.

That's especially dangerous, he said, because the younger generation often has the least driving experience.

“I'll stop a lot of people swerving all over the road, driving erratically,” he said. “They'll tell you they were sending a text message.”

But drivers often aren't as forthcoming after they've been in an accident, he said, which makes it hard to pin down the number of accidents caused by text
messaging, he said.

Some texting drivers try to hide their behavior, assuming it's already illegal, Olney said. Research points to the dangers of inattentive driving, which many times are due to cell phone use.

*Nearly 80 percent of crashes observed during a recent study were due to driver inattention, including cell-phone use or drowsiness, according to a report by the National Highway Safety Transportation Association and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

*Nearly 40 percent of teens surveyed believed text messaging was extremely distracting while driving, according to a study by Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Texting ranked higher than other potentially distracting activities, including having friends in the car and talking on a cell phone, the study states.

“It's inherently more dangerous than talking on a cell phone,” Olney said. When it comes to enforcing a law banning texting at the wheel, Olney doesn't see a particular problem, he said. Similar concerns were raised when talking on cell phones while driving was outlawed, he said.

But people using cell phones to text or talk can be easy to spot, he said, because the phone's light will illuminate car's interior, or the phone will be raised near the steering wheel.

$100 Fines Proposed

The new legislation, proposed by Sen. James Alesi, R-Perinton, would mean drivers caught writing, reading or sending text messages while driving could face a fine of about $100, plus applicable surcharges.

The bill would require the prelicensing course to include a component on cell-phone safety and a question on this issue in the written licensing exam.

In June, five teens who had graduated from high school only days before were killed when the sport utility vehicle they were in collided with a tractor trailer.

During the investigation, police determined the driver, 17-year-old Bailey Goodman, received a text message on her phone minutes before the collision. It's unclear whether or not Goodman answered the text message.

A Close Call

Sheppard and 29-year-old Anneliese Bornemann agreed there's a sense of immediacy to text messaging that might prompt drivers to feel they have to respond quickly to a received text, even while driving.

“I get annoyed if people don't respond to me,” Bornemann said.
It's hard to avoid communicating that way because most young people text frequently, Sheppard said. A law banning people from texting and driving is a good preventative measure, he said, but it's unlikely to stop people from texting in the car.

He noted many people disobey the law banning talking on cell phones while driving.

Twenty-five year old Ryan Monaco estimated he sends a text message about once every hour. It's not his preferred way of communicating with friends, but it's quick and sometimes easier than making a phone call, said Monaco, a Schuyler resident.

“If you have a quick question, you can send a text, and get a text back,” he said. He also prefers texting to calling when he has a passenger in the car, he said. He recalled one close call he had while texting and driving.

As he pulled out of the parking lot of his apartment complex, he nearly hit another car, he said.

“I was an idiot and had my head down,” he said. “It's a stupid habit, I guess. At least when you talk on the phone, you can see the road. When you're texting, it's blatant. Your eyes aren't even on the road.”

Cell Law Passed in 2001

Some lawmakers and public safety officials agree: The laws simply haven't kept up with technology.

In 2001, legislators outlawed talking on cell phones while driving without the use of a hands-free device. Supporters of that law said it changed the behavior of countless drivers, thus promoting safety.

But police have said they've struggled to find ways to enforce the law effectively.

Now, finding a way to reduce the number of drivers who are distracted by texting has become a priority, some legislators said.

“Based on the fact that we don't allow people to talk and drive on their cell phones, I think that text messaging is even more of a risk,” said Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, D-Rome. “Most likely, they would be completely taking their eyes off the road.”

Destito recognized the law might be tricky to enforce, but noted the educational component of the bill would raise awareness of the dangers, similar to education programs on drunken driving.

Griffo said he needs to study the proposed legislation. He suggested bringing together officials from numerous departments, including health, public safety and transportation, to discuss a comprehensive solution to distracted driving.

Other devices, including navigation systems and in-vehicle DVD players, have improved communication and quality of life, he said. But they also pose serious threats to drivers, he said.

Many times, he said, accidents caused by drivers using electronic devices are preventable.

“You're not trying to take away these devices that are making people's lives easier,” he said. “But on the other hand, you can't sacrifice lives because of them.”